Choose your experience

Endless filing, tea runs and photocopying duty are the unappealing roles associated with the work experience lackey. But sparkling grades and a double dose of enthusiasm may not be enough to secure that dream job when you graduate. Work experience is crucial, both to boost your CV and to find out if a particular career is for you.

Prospects looks at how you can gain work experience and discovers that a stint as the unpaid office dogsbody is not the only option.

Project-based placements

Think you could hold your own in the Dragon’s Den? Apply to Shell Step and you may find yourself in charge of a business or technical project within a small business or organisation. Shell STEP placements last for eight weeks over the summer and allow you to experience the many career possibilities available in the small business sector.

David Towers, who is studying International Commerce at Birmingham University, undertook a Shell Step marketing placement with Fingershield Safety and was given an award for his successful contribution to the company.

‘I was responsible for helping Fingershield develop a marketing strategy for their US market. By the end of the project sales online were up by 28% as a result of the changes we had made, and we had over eight times the total number of people clicking onto the Fingershield through the search engines. The placement was great because what I undertook actually made tangible changes to the business.’

Internships

On an internship you can expect to be paid whilst you complete a project or follow an organised scheme within a company. For a few lucky interns it’s a route into a permanent job, but be warned: competition for internships can be very fierce.

Rebecca Patton, a Politics, Philosophy and Economics student at Oxford University, recently undertook a summer internship with Deutsche Bank. ‘The programme was very well structured,’ says Rebecca. ‘I worked alongside a team in the settlements department and went to weekly presentations from the heads of different departments. There were also organised networking and career advice sessions.

‘During my internship, I improved my interpersonal communication, worked to deadlines, presented at meetings and learnt about managing client-relations.’

Sandwich year

Many students undertake a longer, paid work placement during their degree, which is often called a sandwich year or a year in industry.

Manchester student Amy Peck, who is in her third year of a Business Information Technology degree, believes she is gaining a range of useful experience through the year’s placement she is completing at a publishing company.

‘One day is never the same as any other,’ she says, ‘so I get to do lots of different things and develop a variety of skills. I’m a Product Management Assistant and I’m also in charge of updating our web site and responding to email enquiries. My communication skills have improved. I have the opportunity to suggest ideas and I’ve definitely gained confidence.’

Voluntary schemes

Many universities will offer some kind of structured volunteer work, such as tutoring disadvantaged children or coaching sports. Through these schemes you can gain relevant skills whilst helping in the local community.

Lisa Joyce, a student at Chester College of Law, took part in ‘Street Law’, an internationally recognised scheme which aims to make the law and human rights more accessible to the wider community.

‘My team was faced with the prospect of captivating the imagination of teenagers from one of the most deprived areas in the North West,’ says Lisa.

‘Explaining new concepts to a group of young people, who at times would sit with their back to you, was unlike any public speaking I’d done before. It’ll be an awesome way to convince potential employers that I've gained and applied a whole host of skills.’

Work shadowing

You may not have weeks, or even months, to dedicate to work experience. But this doesn’t mean you have to miss out.

Work shadowing involves you observing staff for a day or two, as they carry out their daily tasks. This gives you an insight into how a company or organisation operates.

Linda Holdsworth works for Impact, a Yorkshire-based programme that helps students under-represented in higher education to receive careers guidance and opportunities, including work-shadowing.

‘Through the Impact Mentoring Scheme, many students have shadowed a professional in industry,’ says Linda. ‘It offers a gateway to a network of professionals who are keen to help students understand the day-to-day reality of a job-role.’

‘One Impact student, supported by a genetic counsellor mentor, secured a vital work-shadowing placement. This confirmed her interest and allowed her to understand the reality of the role. The experience encouraged her to apply for a Masters in Genetic Counselling, and she secured a place despite strong competition.’

Further information:

• Community - Work experience